Williams brings smile to Whisenhunt's face

Published Jul. 26, 2012 4:06 p.m. ET

foxsports

June 26, 2012

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- It didn’t take long for Cardinals running back Ryan Williams to announce his return. On one of his first carries in training camp Wednesday, he showed the electric cutback ability that wooed the Cardinals into selecting him in the second round of the 2011 draft.

When asked if he suppressed a smile, coach Ken Whisenhunt said no.

“I smiled. I didn’t suppress anything,” Whisenhunt said. “It was nice to see. It brings back memories of what you saw last year in a short period of time and how excited you got.”

While the Cardinals would love to have Williams contributing alongside bruising back Beanie Wells, Whisenhunt cautioned against getting overly amped based on a day’s worth of work.

“He’s still got a little ways to go,” Whisenhunt said. “He’s still a redshirt rookie.”

There is also the perpetual fear with a player coming back from an injury -- in Williams’ case, a torn patellar tendon -- that the area is weakened and more susceptible to injury.

The Cards could go from a deep backfield to searching for someone to shoulder the load if Williams and Wells -- who had offseason knee surgery and is currently on the active PUP list -- can’t hold up.

But that’s a glass-is-half-empty approach. Right now, Williams is filling everyone’s cup with imagination.

-- Craig Morgan